PF21 Extreme is another top priced model from ECS. In fact, it's a complete
counterpart of the previous PF4
Extreme mainboard, with the only but essential difference: instead
of i915P chipset this mainboard uses the new i925XE chipset, its FSB
capable of operating at 266 MHz. That's why we come across familiar
features in this mainboard: its PCB is also "flashy" (brightly
colored connectors, blinking blue LEDs) and it offers excellent functionality.

Despite the functional richness of the mainboard, its PCB layout creates quite a favourable impression: as PCI Express x1 slots take up little space (in comparison with regular PCI), all mainboard components are well arranged, including audio-ins that are moved from the rear panel to the bottom edge of the mainboard. The number of drawbacks is minimal – one can note only the density of memory slots. And the installed video card will most likely block memory modules in their slots. Access to the only jumper is not hampered even when the mainboard is in a case. There in a brief description of jumper functions on the PCB. Voltage at memory slots is indicated by an orange LED. When a video card is installed into the PCI Express x16 slot, a blue LED lights up. When no video card is installed, the LED lights up yellow. Expansion cards in PCI and PCIE x1 slots are indicated by extinguished LEDs (empty slots are indicated by blinking lights). The 4-phase switching voltage regulator of the processor incorporates fourteen 1800 uF capacitors. The mainboard also contains voltage regulators for PCIEx16 (four 1000 uF capacitors reinforced with L elements) and memory (six 1000 uF capacitors reinforced with L elements). Queerly shaped heatsinks on both chipset bridges look funny but harmless. But the fan in the northbridge cooler (its rotational speed being 6000 rpm according to the sensor) and the original engineering solution – fan with a rear panel funnel (to cool voltage regulator circuits as well as to help rejecting the heat from the CPU heatsink) – do not promote comfortable acoustic conditions.

Integrated Controllers

2 LAN controllers, the first one is based on the Marvell 88E8001-LKJ chip supporting 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Base-T (Gigabit Ethernet), the second one is based on the Realtek RTL8100C chip supporting 10/100 Mbit/sec Base-T (Fast Ethernet)

SATA/IDE RAID based on the SiS 180 chip supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1, with two SATA connectors and one ATA133 connector

FireWire, based on the VIA VT6307 chip supporting two IEEE1394a ports.

General performance: Good (details).
These results look a tad worse in comparison with the previous mainboard
PF4 Extreme with the same
on-board audio controller.

Settings

Jumpers and switches

BIOS write protection ON/OFF jumper

In Award BIOS v6.00PG from Phoenix

Memory timings

+

CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay, RAS Precharge
Time, Precharge Delay

Memory frequency selection

+

Auto, DDR2-400 (FSB:DRAM = 1:1), DDR2-533
(FSB:DRAM=4:3)

PCI Express bus setup

+

PCI bus setup

-

PCI frequency divider setup

+

Sync, Async

PCI Express frequency divider setup

+

FSB/2, 100 MHz

PCI IRQ manual assignment

+

FSB frequency setup

+

200 – 510 MHz at 1 MHz steps

CPU multiplier

+

x8 – x50

CPU core voltage control

+

Auto, 1.1125 – 1.5875 V at 0.025 V
steps

Memory voltage control

+

1.80, 1.90, 2.00, 2.10, 2.11, 2.13, 2.18,
2.20 V

Chipset voltage control

-

AGP voltage control

+

Auto, 1.5 – 1.675 V at 0.025 V steps

We used a beta version of BIOS (1.0b) provided by the mainboard manufacturer (it's newer than the version available on the official web site). BIOS features mentioned above are available in this firmware version, the mainboard was tested with standard settings and the FSB frequency being at 200 and 266 MHz.